Low prescription medication adherence is a major problem in the United States with annual costs of over 200 billion dollars. Although several products have been marketed for improving adherence, the majority are too costly for most patients. Examples of such products are described below.
GlowCap® is a universal bottle cap that provides a series of escalating audio and visual alerts to remind patients to take their medication. The GlowCap® syncs directly through a mobile broadband network using a local hub. If a patient forgets to take a prescribed medication, he or she may be sent a text message through the mobile network. The GlowCap® has limited mobility as it only works in the presence of a mobile network a hub, and is carrier specific. Additionally, it needs its own data connection and is costly.
The MedMinder™ pillbox is a 28 compartment pillbox with an internal cellular modem. The pillbox compartments may be prefilled by pharmacies. The box provides audio, visual, text message, and email reminders to take medications, and the internal cellular modem communicates with a remote system for medication refill and tracking. Its main shortcoming is the high monthly fee needed to support its cellular data connection.
CleverCap® is a universal bottle cap that is programmed to time release tablets. Audio, visual, and mobile reminders may be delivered. The main short shortcomings of CleverCap® are its large size, price, and lack of scale.
PharmAssistant is a smart pill container equipped with a Bluetooth radio that communicates with a patient's smartphone through an app. During operation, the smart pill container must be in proximity to the smartphone, which, through the app, causes the box to provide audio and visual reminders to take medication until the box is opened.